Mother’s Day- A Short History

Along the centuries, Mothers have been celebrated and honored.  Starting in the 1600’s, the English celebrated Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent which honored the Virgin Mary with a prayer service.  Employees and servants were allowed to travel to their hometowns to visit family and children brought gifts and flowers to pay tribute to their mothers.  Unfortunately, this celebration died out in the 19^th century.

In the United States, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia, started the “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” to teach women in her area how to properly care for their children.  After the Civil War these clubs promoted unity and peace in an area still torn apart by the war.  In 1868, Ann created “Mothers’ Friendship Day”, where mothers got together with union and confederate soldiers to help with reconciliation.

Following Anna’s death in 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, decided to carry on her mother’s memory by promoting “Mother’s Day” as a way to pay tribute to each mothers sacrifice for their children.  The first official Mother’s Day was held at a Methodist church in West Virginia. After this small success Anna kicked off a letter writing campaign to politicians and newspapers to make it a national holiday.  After several years of persistence and its being adopted by many towns, Mother’s Day was declared an official holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

        Ann Reeves Javis                                    Anna Reeves Javis

 In our era, not only do we honor the sacrifices of our mothers, we also use Mother’s Day to celebrate and honor the many women in our lives who are important, grandmothers, step mothers, aunts, neighbors and all of the ladies that make a difference in our lives. The entire staff of Bank of Memories & Flowers would like to officially say Thank you to all the women in our lives, especially our moms!  Thanks for all you do!

Luan M. Kurriger, ~Pewaukee Manager

Administrative Professional's Week-

Thank them for all they do!

 Always be nice to secretaries. They are the real gatekeepers in the world. -Anthony J. D'Angelo

Administrative week is actually the week of the 20th, but most flowers will go out Wednesday, April 22, formally known as Secretary's Day.  During World War II, there was an increase need for skilled administrative personnel.  The National Secretaries Association was formed to recognize the contributions of secretaries in the work force and to attract people to the administrative careers.  Since its inception in 1952, it is the largest workplace event celebrated nationwide.  In 1981 the title of the day was changed to Professionals Secretaries Week and in 2000 was changed to Administrative Professionals Week to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide range of job tiles of the administrative supporting staff.  Fun fact, there are more then 8 million supporting administrative rolls in the United States.

Now is the perfect time to show your appreciation for all their hard work.  With Bank of Memories & Flowers selection of gifts, we make it easy to say thank you.  Here are just a few ideas of gifts. Not only do we offer many unique fresh cut arrangements, but we also have gourmet chocolates, fairy gardens and long lasting European gardens!!!

Krista Roskopf ~Menomonee Falls Manager

Winter Wedding in Pewaukee

Ted + Mary = LOVE

Ceremony: Galilee Lutheran Church, Pewaukee
Reception: Red Circle Inn, Nashotah

Florist: Bank of Memories & Flowers
Month: January

The two words Mary and Ted kept emphasizing during their bridal consultation were wintery and intimate.   We were able to at least help them with the “wintery” part.     Mary’s bouquet was a combination of winter greens, white roses and garden roses, stock, lisianthus and heather.  Silver brunia berries and dusty millet carried the silvery tones throughout the bouquet.  Tiny pine cones added to the wintery look.  Mary’s granddaughter carried a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet and Ted’s white rose boutonniere finished the ensemble.

For the Altar at Galilee Lutheran Church we created two pieces in pedestal containers that continued the wintery romance feel of the day.  Using the same mix of flowers as those in the bridal bouquet, the arrangements we finished with birch branches for a little height.

The intimate reception was held at the Red Circle Inn inNashotah.  The tables were topped with a bubble bowl of branches and the same mix of flowers as those at the church, white roses and lisianthus, winter greens, silvery brunia and dusty miller and pine cones.

Thank you and congratulations to Mary and Ted for allowing Bankof Memories & Flowers to be a part of your wonderful day.

Luan M. Kurriger, ~Pewaukee Manager

Calandivas Care

We are in love with these calandivas that just arrived. They remind us of summer and are so easy to take care of. They thrive in a more sunny location and do very well indoors. 

Calandivas are part of the kalanchoe family and originate from the Netherlands. They should be watered infrequently and allowed to dry out slightly between watering. Make sure your container has proper drainage so the roots are not sitting in water.  Soil sould be more consistent with a sand base. 

As the flowers die off, pinch or cut them off to encourage new growth. During the resting period, you don't have to water the plant as much. They prefer a dark place to re-blossom.  When you start to notice new buds, bring the plant back to its sunny area.

Here at Bank of Memories & Flowers, we have these beauties in white, yellow, light pink, fuchsia, red and orange shades.  Stop in to take a peek!

Care and Handling (and a little History) of Easter Lilies

When you think of scents of Easter, besides the warm, yummy aroma of ham in the oven and sweet chocolaty bunnies, the most iconic is the wonderful fragrance of the Easter Lily. When I was little every Easter my Dad would get an Easter Lily from the local florist and it was my job to make sure its pollen was removed and that it had enough water. 

A native of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Easter Lilies were brought to the United States by a World War I soldier from Oregon.  He filled his suitcase with the bulbs which he gave as gifts to friends and relatives.

When the importing of these bulbs was cut off immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many who were cultivating Easter Lilies as a hobby went into business.  By 1945 there were 1200 growers producing bulbs.  Cultivating the Lily bulbs turned out to be an exact science with demanding climate requirements. Today there are only 10 farms in an isolated region on the California/Oregon border designated the “The Easter Lily Capital of the World” that provide the majority of the bulbs for the blooming plant market.

Tips for Taking Care of Your Easter Lily: 

• Be sure it receives bright indirect light and water when the soil is dry to the touch.  Do not let it sit in water either.
• Remove the pollen (the bright yellow dust) from inside the bloom.  Removing the pollen will help the plant live longer as well as keep it from staining the bloom and anyone who brushes into it.
• When each of the blooms has faded cut it off with a sharp knife.  Enjoy your plant until the last blossom is spent.  At this point allow the leave of your plant grow as long as possible and then let them wither naturally.  
• After cutting back the greenery, leave the plant in its pot and keep it in a cool dim place until it can be planted in the spring after the last frost.
• You can plant an Easter Lily in your garden to try to get it to bloom again either in the same season or for the next.  

Be sure to stop in at either location of Bank of Memories & Flowers, the Menomonee Falls or Pewaukee store, for our beautiful selection of Easter Lilies as well as other bulb and blooming plants.

Luan M. Kurriger, ~Pewaukee Manager